Folding-machine for tin boxes.



No. 687,056. Patented miv. I9, mm. s. nPsAL.

FOLDING MACHINE FOR TIN BOXES.

(Application filed Dec. 24, 1900.) (No Model.) 2 Sheets-*Sheet I.

m: cams PETERS on. uumouvuou WASNINGTON. n. c.

(No Model.)

s. OVPSAL.

- (Application filed Dec. 24, 1900.)

Patented Nov. 19; 1901..

. FOLDING MACHINE FOB TIN BOXES.

2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

' V m: uonms PETERS co. PHOTO-UTHQ. wAsmNm'oN, u. c.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

SUREN OPSAL, OF STAVANGER, NORWAY.

FOLDVING-MACHINEMFOR TlN BOXES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 687,056, dated November19, 1901. Application filed December 24;, 1900.1 Serial No. 41,002. (Nomodel.)

To aZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, S6BEN OPSAL, a citizen of the Kingdom ofNorway,-residing at Stavanger, Norway, have invented new and usefulImprovements in Folding-Machines for Tin Boxes, of which the followingis'a specification.

This invention relates to machines for the manufacture of metal boxesfrom tin-plate or other sheet metal by uniting the parts thereof byinterfolding the borders thereof; and the invention consists in thepeculiar construction and arrangement of a machine which is adapted tohold said box parts andwhile so held to effect the union of said borderparts by interfolding the same, all as hereinafter fully described,andmore particularly pointed out in the claim.

In the drawings forming part of this specification, Figure 1 is a sideelevation of a machine for folding tin boxes constructed according tomyinvention. Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional view of the tool-carryinghead of the machine and a side view of the central tool-moving shaft,which is hereinafter described. Fig. 3 is a plan View of certain partsshown at the upper end of Fig. 1.

Referring to the drawings, (1. indicates the frame of the machine, whichcomprises a vertical standard, a suitable base, and a bracket part 6,extending at right angles from said standard, near the upper endthereof. The tool-carrying head comprises a central cylindrical sleeve1, the upper end of which enters a socket in the under side of saidbracket part and is there retained in a pending position, as shown, by ascrew 2, entering the end of said bracket. Said sleevelis tubular fromits upper extremity nearly to its lower end, as shown in Fig. 2, and hasthere a transverse slot 3 through it from side to side, and the endbelow said slot is solid, as shown, to provide for securing thereoncertain operative parts, as below described. A second sleeve m, having aflange around its lower end, is secured on said sleeve Z by a screw 4,which passes from the border of said flange through the latter andengages in a socket in the surface of said sleeve, as shown, therebyholding said two sleeves operatively in the united relations shown. Theupper end of said sleeve Zabuts the under side of said bracket,

as shown. A head 19 is suitably secured on the lower extremity of saidcylindrical sleeve Z, which head forms an upper abutment against which abox is held while being operated upon.

for folding the corners thereof, a groove 2 around said head serving tofacilitate said folding. A series of vertical guide-rods is have theirupper ends fixed in the under side of the flange of said sleevem andpass freely through the body of a cylinder having two beveled-edgeguide-disks 7i 'i thereon and have their lower ends secured to the uppersurface of said head 1). Thus said guide-disk cylinder is free forvertical movements, guided and supported by said rods on the lower endof said cylindrical sleeve, and is given said move- I ments byconnection with the vertically-movable central connecting-rod g by meansof a screw 5, passing transversely through the body usual tight andloose pulleys b, which are driven by any convenient power connection.The said rod 9 and the said parts connected thereto are moved verticallyby means of a lever q, Fig. 1, pivoted on said frame-bracket and havinga downwardly-extending handle by which it may be operated by hand.Ashaft f is supported in a lateral projection on the upright part of theframe a for free vertical movements and has a head n thereon, operatingopposite and under said head 10 by a lever w, connected to said shaftand pivoted on said frame a, a weight 0, hung on said lever, serving toautomaticall y carry said shaft and head it upwardly against a boxplaced between said two heads and operative by foot or other action tomove said lower head it away from the upper head 0.

A folding-wheel carrier his pivotally hung on the bolt 1), (see Fig. 2,)and its extremities have a limited swinging movement in a horizontalplane, and they carry on said extremities the folding-wheels s and a.Said carrier h is carried around with the pulley e, to the end that thesaid folding-wheels may operate against the box parts for folding thesame, as below described. Said carrier h is pivotally connected withsaid pulley e by means of the headed bolt 1 passing upwardly through atubular sleeve and one of the arms of said pulley c and is there securedby a nut, as shown, said carrier being hung on said bolt, between thehead thereof and the lower end of said sleeve, for swinging movements ina horizontal plane. On said folding-wheel carrier h are twofreely-rotating friction disks or pulleys t and r, one on the upper andone on the under side, (see Fig. 1,) which pulleys are engagedalternately by the upper and lower bevel-edge guide-disks z' i,hereinbefore referred to, and through such engagement said carrier isswung to carry the foldingwheels 3 and ualternately against the parts ofa box which are to be folded, asbelow de scribed.

If the tin box to be operated upon be round, oval, or angular, the headsn and p and guidedisks 1 are made of corresponding forms.

The operation of the machinein folding box parts is as follows, themachine having been started and the pulley e thereby given a rotarymovement: The tin box, the cover and bottom of which are to be folded,is placed on said lower head a and is then by the action of said weight0 on the lever 20 carried upward and pressed between the latter-namedhead and said upper head 19, after which by grasping the handle of thelever q, operating the shaft or rod g, and moving it in the directionindicated by the arrow in Fig. 1 the lower guide-disk i will be liftedand forced against the guide-roller '1', thereby swinging the carrier hand pressing the folding-wheel 3 against the box parts, thus effectingthe primary folding of said parts, and then said lever q is moved in anopposite direction, thereby carryin g the upper guide-disk '5 againstthe guideroller 15, thereby forcing the folding-wheel it against theedge of the box and completing the folding operation, it beingunderstood that with the rotary movement of said pulley the ends of thecarrier h and the foldingwheels 8 and a are caused to move in a circlearound the box parts held between said heads 19 and n.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secureby Letters Pat ent of the United States, is-

In a machine of the class described, a suit able frame, means on saidframe for holding metal box parts in position for mutual union byfolding their borders, a folding-Wheel car rier having a folding-wheelon each extremity, means for s'u pportin g and for moving said carrierand folding-wheels in a horizontal plane around said box-holdingdevices, and for effecting the alternate engagement of saidfolding-wheels with said box parts during the movement thereof aroundsaid parts, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have signed this specification in the presence oftwo subscribing witnesses.

SOREN OPSAL.

\Vitnesses:

FRED. WATTNE, J. NERUM.

